Vacaville police arrest man on gun, drug charges following pursuit

A man was arrested Tuesday on allegedly gun and drug charges after leading police on a high-speed pursuit through a Vacaville neighborhood, officials reported.

Eric Oliver Rogers, 45, of Vacaville, was taken into custody shortly after 2 p.m. after being Tasered and wrestled to the ground by Vacaville officers at the end of a foot chase that began after his Ford Mustang was seen speeding through a stop sign at the intersection of Marshall Road and Burlington Drive, according to a press release from Sgt. Todd Dye.

The officer got behind the Mustang and turned on the patrol car's lights and sirens, trying to make and enforcement stop, Dye said. However, rather than yielding, the driver, later identified by police as Rogers, sped off heading toward a residential neighborhood.

During the pursuit, Rogers, who was on active probation, tossed what was later discovered to be a loaded hand gun out the car's window, according to Dye.

The officer, who Dye said was "driving with public safety in mind," lost sight of Rogers. However, an alert citizen flagged the officer down and pointed in the direction that Rogers had gone and the pursuit was quickly reignited.

At one point, after Rogers got out of his car and tried to escape on foot, the officer pulled up alongside Rogers and told him he was under arrest, according to Dye. Rogers immediately turned and started running away and the officer ran after him with other officers joining in the chase.

As he ran, Rogers was seen throwing a package containing roughly $500 worth of methamphetamine that police later recovered, Dye said. Officers continued gaining on Rogers, who turned and took a fighting stance against them.

One of the officers deployed their Taser, but Dye said it had little affect on Rogers, who was then wrestled to the ground and taken into custody.

Officers later determined that the gun Rogers discarded had been stolen during a burglary, according to Dye.

As a precaution, Rogers was taken to VacaValley Hospital where he was medically cleared before being booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale, felony evading, carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of stolen property and probation violation.

Police are crediting the actions of the alert citizen who pointed officers in Rogers' direction and encourage others to be aware of their surroundings. In the event of an emergency or if you see a crime being committed, call 911, police encouraged.

Criminal activity can be reported online at www.cityofvacaville.com/departments/police, or by calling Crime Stoppers and leaving an anonymous tip at 644-7867. Crime Stoppers may pay up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.